


Jade's Lulluby

by VoltageStone



Series: Jori Collections 2018/2019 [7]
Category: Victorious
Genre: F/F, Jori - Freeform, Totally thought I uploaded this months ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-07 16:16:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17369219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoltageStone/pseuds/VoltageStone
Summary: "'I told you you'll go home. Okay? You'll go home Tori. You'll go home...'"





	Jade's Lulluby

**Author's Note:**

> Hey.
> 
> That's it. Carry on.

**_No One's Perspective_ ** **_-_ **

It was bright and early, and none of the students wanted to be there. Even so, they all looked out from their car windows to the hundred-and-something-year-old barn, the wood so old that each plank had a different color resembling a different history. The only "new" thing about it (which was probably thirty years old at best) was the metal-patched roof.

"Alright, here we are!"

Students crowded around the old, rickety barn as they hopped out of their vehicles—but clustered closer to their friends. Sikowitz, with his hair wild from underneath a strange hat (nobody said anything about it), crossed his arms and surveyed the building. "This will be an excellent stage for the play in the spring. What do you say?" He glanced over his shoulder to a group of students.

Robbie, with his puppet—Rex—stuffed in his backpack, said, "I don't know... It looks like it's weak. And the weather on the news isn't boding well."

"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with him on this," Beck noted from beside him. "How did you find this anyway?"

"The school did," Sikowitz explained. "It was cheap so we'll have to fix it up and all that. Which is why those guys are here." He pointed to a team of professionals as they strolled out of the barn.

"The kid's right. It does need some supports," one said as he trudged over to Sikowitz. "But it won't fall anytime soon, especially if we start now. We were all able to walk on the second level without any problems. It's the supports at the roof that's the issue. If anything serious were to happen—"

"Like a hurricane?" Robbie asked.

The man looked at him. "No, kid. I mean, _yeah_ , but you don't need to worry about that shit. We're here and nothing's going to happen. It's clear today, so not even a drop of rain will come." He turned back to Sikowitz. "Oh, my name's Ben by the way. And there's Steven, and Mark who are the head of this team."

"Alright, nice to meet you," Sikowitz said. "I'm Erwin, leader of _this_ team right here: that awkward young boy is Robbie—"

"Hey! I prefer _man_."

"Oh shut the fuck up, Robbie. He didn't call you a wipe, did he?" (This was coming from somebody who had to sit with him for two hours in the car.)

"And that...cheerful young lady is Jade." Jade crossed her arms with indifference (again: _two hours_ ) as she strolled to Beck's side, another two girls with her. "That bubbly youngster," Sikowitz continued, "is Cat. Tori there is the nice one and then good ol' Beck... And, where's Andre?"

"He's trying to find a good spot to park his new car under some shade," Beck replied. "He'll be here though."

"Okay. Anyway, the rest of the youngsters are with other chaperones. They'll be glad to meet with you fine gentlemen, I'm sure." Ben bobbed his head, then left to meet with the other adults and groups of students. "Right," Sikowitz said, clapping his hands together. "We're in charge with cleaning out the barn today, and the snack bar over there. How about we look through to see what we're up against, and then I'll meet with Lane to see what his group is doing in the barn as well." Nobody argued, and followed him to the old, weathered building.

Once through the great doors left wide open, it was obvious as of why the barn was chosen for a performance stage. The space was vast and expansive, with stairs on once side leading to what was quite possibly another room—most likely for storage. Immediately, Andre and Beck were drawn to the stairs. Once they had each gone up a few steps, Andre a few higher, Beck confirmed Ben's statement from before: "Yeah, these aren't even giving in."

Jade, who lingered towards the entrance with Sikowitz, gazed up to the roof. It didn't take a professional to know that it wasn't in good shape. Some of the pillars were sagging, and the sun's intervention between metal sheets were sporadic. Her eyes caught sight of a few pieces of jagged metal; it was almost as if something—or someone—had fallen through at one point or another. Even with the state of the barn, she also couldn't deny that it was sturdy enough with the weather that day.

"Hey! Look at this little picture!" Everybody looked towards Cat, who was crouched by Tori in the corner of the barn. Cat giggled and said, "It kind of looks like bacon and eggs." Tori sighed, and glanced towards Jade somewhat guiltily.

Sikowitz turned to what sounded like his name, and then waved everybody over. Lane jogged to the group, and briefly explained what had been planned. One group would go up to the second level and clear out anything that had been left up there, while another would do the same with the bottom. "My group will do the bottom since yours is split. Is that good with you?"

"Yeah," Sikowitz said, "that sounds good. Beck and Andre can start now with Jade and Tori, while Robbie and Cat can start with the food."

Lane held up a thumb. "Awesome. I'll go tell my group now." He left quickly, leaving the group to disband as Erwin had clarified. The two girls followed the boys up, only one step creaking along the way.

"It's kind of cool how this place is still holding up," Andre commented.

Jade sighed to herself, glancing towards the ceiling once again. "They just replaced the stairs," she muttered under her breath.

They all went into the storage room, which was cluttered with some trash and a few scattered boxes. Andre looked out the small window, enjoying the view of the tree-littered land. "Hey, somebody brought their dog," he chuckled. Jade rolled her eyes as Tori and Beck went to the window. It was a yippy thing; she could hear it.

" _Anyway_ ," she hissed, "how about we help stack these while you carry those bigger boxes down." The two boys looked at her.

"Alright. We can go pet the dog while you wait then," Andre said. And so they worked, beginning a few piles before the two boxes were carried off, down the stairs. As soon as they left, Tori crept behind Jade, nervously wringing her wrist.

"Jade?"

"What, Vega?!" she snapped.

Tori chewed her cheek and asked, "Are you still—"

"Pissed?" Jade shot a glare—though it wasn't the strongest one she's given—over her shoulder. "Yeah. I don't want to talk about it."

There was a blanket of silence before Tori continued: "I said I was sorry, okay? I didn't mean—"

"I said forget it!" Jade growled, stepping back towards the stairs. She halted by the doorway, willing to concentrate on the dog's constant yapping. Her back tingled with the soft stare focused on it, and she hated it. "We can..." she tried again, softer, "we can talk about it later. Just not right now."

"Jade..."

"Tori, please," Jade quietly begged. There wasn't another word spoken.

The dog's barking continued to shrill, more aggressive by the second. Tori sighed and turned to Jade, sure that she'd give a snarky comment. Instead, she found Jade stricken, eyes concentrated to the swaying ropes hanging from the ceiling. Tori didn't feel a breeze. And while Jade was frozen—as well as Tori—they rocked as well. Everything did. "Tori," she murmured, suddenly hoarse. "Get over here now." There wasn't any argument. The girls clung to each other, wary by the strange shaking that trembled the barn. Jade looked to the ground where everybody else was, early in their chores. They didn't feel it: "Earthquake..." Jade whispered, the swaying exaggerating by the second. "EARTHQUAKE!" she shouted down the stairs.

People froze, and stared back. The whole barn seemed to have lurched. The wood groaned and people stumbled, uneasily sprinting out of the old structure. Tori and Jade raced down the stairs, hearts pulsing at their throats. Tori staggered as she skipped the last few steps, bolting to the wide door with Jade at her tail. She was so close. So. Very. Close.

Jade screamed from behind her, having just glanced up. Tori felt her body slam against her, ramming both of them to the corner as the world shook around them, havoc eating the rotting wood alive. Her chest hammered viciously as Jade plummeted on top of her; out of the corner of her eye, Tori saw the entrance crumble to nothing, and everything suddenly dark. There was another terrifying shake, the ground beneath them still convulsing. There was a guttural, sickening grunt from above Tori.

Then it was quiet. And yet the shock of it all was deafening

Tori listened, and could only hear the sharp, broken breaths from Jade, who remained pinned over her. " _Fuck_ ," Jade whimpered quietly. Tori couldn't say anything, not when her throat was clogged with a tight knot, not since her body seemed to still shiver with uncontrollable spasms, nor with the puzzling heat flowing across her left side. In the midst of the silence amongst the rubble, Tori strained to hear what was happening outside. It took her a moment to realize the chaos. People screamed for one another's names, and some others yelled to call 911. She heard commotion over cars and trees, and a lamppost as well.

"Jade?" she whispered quietly.

"Hmm?"

Her voice was rough, and Tori swallowed. "W-will we make it out?"

There was a long, agonizing moment where there wasn't an answer, only shallow breathing. "Yes," Jade whispered. "Don't worry...you'll make it home, okay?"

"I-I don't know what's going on." Tori whimpered quietly, the world still black, hard and merciless; it was a stark contrast than what it was mere minutes before. Maybe five at most. "Jade...?

"Yes?"

Tori felt the rushing beat of a heart against her back, which somewhat soothed her trembling. A melody. "Will they find us? Can you call them?"

"No, I dropped my phone and I know it—" Her breathing went sharp abruptly. " _Shit_."

"Jade? Are you—"

"I'm fine, Tori, okay?" Jade cut across. "You don't need to worry, just...do you have your phone?" Her shoulder was stuck, like the rest of her back. However, her elbow wasn't. Tori's right hand slowly maneuvered to her hip, a small open space below the barn's pieces permitting it. Jade barely shifted before groaning quietly.

"Y-yeah. I think it's okay."

"Okay. Can you call or anything?"

"N-no... I can't even see—" Tori choked. She didn't even know what she was looking at. There was dirt, some of the metal roof, Jade and wood. She squinted and realized the carving she ran her hand over from before was at her nose. "No. I can't," she mumbled, shifting to test her mobility.

She felt Jade take a long breath, and them murmur, "Okay...okay... Do you have the volume up?"

"At it's highest?"

"Yeah."

"Always." The idea that had dawned on Jade had leaked onto Tori. "Do you think they'll call?"

Again, Jade took her time to answer. "Y-yes. If they want to know where we are, they will."

Tori worked her jaw. "Jade? Can we call? I mean yell?"

"I- You have to."

Neither moved as Tori opened her mouth, only to have soft whines crawl out. _Just yell_ , she thought. _Just yell. Cry out_. Tori whimpered, her head aching and throat raw with her futile attempts. "I can't. Jade I can't do it. You have to."

Tori almost jerked once something hot streamed down her neck, Jade shaking through silent, strained whimpers. "I can't either Tori, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." They grew silent once again when a siren screamed from outside, announcing an inkling of hope. But it seemed too far away. Tori heard frantic yells and hollers of cars again, the voices that were near the barn weaker and fainter with each second.

"They'll never find us," she mumbled softly.

"Don't say that. I told you you'll go home. Okay? You'll go home Tori. You'll go home." Jade's breathing became the only music, and her heart the only drum. "I'm sorry Tori."

"What?"

Jade's voice cracked and wavered. "For everything."

Tori's eyes stung, and she let loose a shaken breath. She whimpered quietly, and asked, "Jade?"

"Hmmm?"

"I-" A sob escaped her. "I'm scared. Are you?"

Nothing. Not for quite a while. "Not anymore," Jade answered weakly. "My...my mom, she used to sing a song."

"What song?"

Jade shuddered a breath. "She made it...for whenever I was alone in a blackout, or when I was startled by lightening. I-I could sing it?" Tori nodded softly, her voice too broken for words. Instead she listened, and felt the constant, slow rhythm of Jade's heartbeat that contrasted against her thumping own. Jade cleared her throat and inhaled quietly.

_"Don't fight...the night and it's curious noises,  
just remember the arms wrapped around you..."_

Tori felt herself grow calm with Jade's mellow, yet rough voice and soothing heartbeat.

 _"Don't be afraid...of what's in your closet,_  
for you cleaned it this afternoon,  
once I told you to..."

A small, gentle smile grew on her face, though it still paled in comparison to her usual grin. Voices began to echo, too, but still not close enough.

_"Just focus...on the...stars,  
and see how- how you can reach that far..._

_"Don't look away from the moon,_  
and while you're scared,  
the bats...all swoon."

The voices became louder, accompanied by distant rummaging through wood on the opposite side of the barn.

_"Now protect your little...stuffed bear...  
and now hold it- it tight, under your covers..."_

Tori couldn't hear the voices, but she felt her phone spring to life. It's call searched through the cracks, reaching to the world outside.

_"And..."_

Jade coughed, her voice trembling. Tori felt another tear stream down her neck as the phone continued to ring wildly.

_"And...don't for-get...  
h-how I...I love...y-ou..."_

Even with the voices and clambering steps outside, the air was empty around Tori. Jade's lullaby was finished, and so was the phone. "You sir!" she heard a man holler. "Beck, call again, we can't hear it anymore!" Tori's heart was on a rampage again as she felt her phone cry for life once more, bolder now in her mind without Jade's voice. There was rummaging, and wood shifting. Metal clanged and was thrown in the distance. "They're both here! They're both— Carlos! James! Get over here!"

"Jade..." Tori whispered, "you were right..."

Hands scrambled to move and toss any loose pieces. And then, collectively, they shoved a long wall out of the way. Tori blinked in the sudden light, and barely saw the firefighters from the corner of her eye. The man she saw closest wasn't looking at her, but towards Jade. "God..." he whispered. "Carlos, help me with her."

The men worked together without any words, shifting and carefully pulling the last weight off of Tori. They hurriedly, while minding the rubble, scrambled away with Jade, shouting for paramedics that had apparently just arrived with the loud, bustling wave sirens. The last firefighter, who Tori assumed was James, reached a hand to her. "Come here...easy, easy," he murmured. She winced as she stepped and he said, "It's okay, take your time."

Her leg, once she glanced down, was severely scratched, and probably needed stitches. But that was it. Except: "Where's Jade?" Her question was frantic, and James eased her away from the wreckage. She looked over her shoulder, and found the barn wasn't there any longer, but a pile of metal roofing, wood and dust had taken its place. Some cars had indeed been smashed by the large, oak tree and a telephone pole. "W-where's Jade?' she asked again.

"She's..." He swallowed, his features growing grim. "I- uh... You need to get to the ambulance."

"But where's—"

An urgent call then caught her attention: "Get the AED Plus! Zane!" There was an unnerving crowd in front of her. Tori's eyes scoured, and managed to find Beck. She scrambled away from James, and limped towards her friend, ignoring the concerned calls behind her.

"Beck! Beck, where's Jade?"

He turned around, and relief immediately washed across his features. But not for long. "I don't know. They- They carried her towards the ambulances. I- I didn't get a chance to see what was wrong." Once again, she shoved herself away from a comforting figure. "Wait, Tori, Tori!"

She wormed her way through, staggering around people. "Jade? Jade?!" Tori broke through the last of the crowd. Her heart seized, and bile began to knot in her throat, blocking any calls for Jade. As a firefighter—the original one—began to ease her away, leading her to another ambulance, the sight of Jade burned in her mind. "No," she croaked, the blank eyes staring to the sky the only thing clouding her thoughts. Tori struggled against the man, reaching for the circle of paramedics with a strange-looking box with them. A man pushed against Jade's chest in a constant pace, concentrated and worried. "Jade!" Tori sobbed, wriggling in the firefighter's arms. "JADE!" she then shrieked.

" _Shock advised. Don't touch patient. Press flashing shock button._ " She screamed as the electronic box continued to repeat, and signal for a button.

Jade's body then jerked, the paramedic's hands raised away from her skin.

 _"Shock delivered._ "

She ignored the rest of what the damn thing said, and whimpered hysterically. "Please... Tori right? I'm Charlie, okay? I'm going to set you down so they can help your leg, okay?" She barely caught what the firefighter said.

"But Jade..." Her eyes watered at the sight of a long, jagged sheet jabbed into her side. "Jade... She needs to be alright. Please. _Please_."

"I- I'm sorry, she—"

"No, _no_! She can't have! She wouldn't _do_ that for me! Can't you see that?!" Her voice went raw as she collapsed to her knees.

"Tori, I'm sorry about your friend."

"Friend...?" Tori cried to herself, her head swarming with too many emotions at once. Everything with Jade flashed. Every conversation. Every word. Every fleeting touch. Every brief glance. Everything. Right down to her heartbeat against her back. When had it stopped? When did she stop noticing?

"I'm so sorry," Charlie said soothingly.

"But...but I _need_ her..." she whimpered, so quiet that Charlie barely caught it.

A gasping breath echoed throughout the area. Horrible coughs then racked through Jade's body, the paramedics scrambling around. Tori whined, reaching out for Jade as Charlie remained in an awed puzzlement. "Come on Tori," he said, "I'll bring you to the ambulance here, okay?" She staggered back, pain exploding in her calf once again. Tori wheezed as she eased herself onto the back of the ambulance, two of the paramedics who circled Jade jogging to her.

Tori looked to her side, finally analyzing the rich, coat of blood that had been pooling on her for however long they'd been trapped underneath the barn's rubble. Her mind grew blank, numb as hands wrapped something—she didn't care what—around her leg, easing her inside. She didn't even seem to notice Robbie, Cat and Andre as they boarded with her. Jade was everything that filled her mind.

Jade and her lullaby.

**. . .**

They were back in Sikowitz's classroom, on the small stage at the front. They watched as the rest left, eager to head off for their other plans. Tori shifted, and then casted a soft smile to her side. Jade returned it. "Do you think they'll find a good barn in time?"

Jade shrugged. "They're desperate enough, and they really want to do these plays."

Tori shuffled closer, lacing their fingers together. "Do you think you'll get any parts?"

"Yeah. All the ones you want." Tori rolled her eyes as Jade chuckled, and then smiled.

"You're such an ass." A smirk was then received, before a small, gentle kiss was placed upon it.

As Tori leaned away, expecting to find a gentle grin and glinting eyes, she found Jade jerked away. The classroom broke into a long field, rubble and the signs of chaos scattered everywhere. Jade's pale skin grew gaunt, her eyes hollow and hair without its usual bounce. Blood soaked her clothes, almost black where a sharp shard protruded from her side unevenly.

"Is that why you never said anything?" she snarled through a croak. "Is that why you didn't say anything? How many times do I have to _tell_ you?!"

Tori staggered, her clothes pooling with the familiar, sickening warmth. Her hands became drenched, just as rich as Jade's pierced hip. "I- I'm sorry Jade! I'm sorry!"

Jade's sunken, pale eyes only stare. She extended her hand as blinding light began to cascade around her. "Come with me," she beckoned, her voice still gravelly and unwelcoming. "Come with me!" Tori surged forward, only to be dazzled by the white light lurching towards her, engulfing Jade's silhouette entirely. Tori cried and bellowed Jade's name until she—with wretched tremors—jerked in a hospital bed.

She whipped around, anxiously looking for Jade. But nothing. Everything was grey and quiet, except for her hysterical breaths. A nurse stepped through the door, wearing a grim expression.

"Where's Jade? I need to know where she is?"

"Are you Tori Vega?"

"Yes!" Tori answered frantically. "Where's Jade?"

The nurse gazed at her solemnly, and said quietly, "I'm sorry but...we lost her."

"Wh- _what_? No, no, you can't do that! She wasn't ready! Jade, Jade!" Tori wrestled with the bed, scrambling within the sheets. "Jade! Please come back! Jade!"

With a sharp gasp, Tori wrenched herself in the hospital bed, heart pulsing against her ribs and throat. Her hands trembled and she winced at the pain in her leg. Her eyes darted everywhere, only to realize the room wasn't grey, but a gentle green—or, at least, the curtain was. And her sister was by her side, not some nurse. "Where's Jade?" she sobbed. "Trina, where's Jade?"

"She's still in surgery," Trina answered, eyes wide with concern. "What happened?"

"I- I..." Tori looked around once again, the television from outside the curtain was one, garbled with the small conversations and accompanied by the small seats and heart monitor. "I don't know," she whined.

Trina exhaled wearily. "The doctor just got done stitching your legs. You've been asleep. Nothing's happening, okay?"

Tori nodded, but her mind was too in a rush to completely understand. "I- I can't loose her, Trina," she wept quietly, tears sprinkling her eyes. "She's everything. I can't loose her..." She shivered as Trina's arms blanketed her shoulders in a warm embrace.

"I know...I know," Trina hushed. "It will be okay, you'll see. It's okay."

**. . .**

Everything was so cold in the waiting room. Sure, the walls weren't white or grey, but a gentle brown. The tables and chairs were warm colors, or otherwise welcoming. The magazines, even, were nice and cheerful. Andre and Cat had tried to read some of the ones for kids, though neither had the heart. Nobody had the heart. Anxiety ate them alive. As were the case for others who waited on _any_ news. Robbie had nervously gone through his computer (which had been safe in Andre's car, one of many that weren't flattened by a tree or a lamppost) and searched. "It was a 7.2 on the Richter scale," he said. "And it hit Los Angeles pretty bad too. Nothing collapsed though..." He whished that was comforting, as did everybody else who heard.

"My shed fell over to my back porch," a man claimed. "That's what got my boy in the leg. I'm sure he'll be fine though."

"That's good," Beck said.

The man turned to him. "What about you all? If you don't mind me asking."

They all looked towards Tori, who leaned against a wall far away from any of the others. Her leg was bandaged and stitched together, Trina at her side. She shifted numbly in her crutches, no hint of a smile on her face. "We were working on this old barn for a thing in the spring. Two of our friends were in it..."

"Oh my god..."

"That's one of them over there," Andre murmured, gesturing towards Tori. "The other one's still in surgery."

The man scratched the back of his head anxiously. "For what?"

"We don't really know..." Beck answered.

"Tori was the only one to see Jade," Cat mumbled. "But she hasn't spoken since." She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "All we know is that Jade was found dead and they brought her back to life...then took her away to here." She hiccupped and Andre patted her comfortingly on the back.

"God damn," the man sighed. "I'm real sorry. I hope all will be well for you guys."

"Thanks," they all chorused. Silence once again had imbedded itself into the conversation, lasting until there were the sound of sandals and crutches. They all gazed up at Sikowitz, Tori and Trina.

Sikowitz jerked his chin. "Come on. We need to talk outside. Now." Everybody swallowed their fears, though there wasn't any use: it came back up anyway. They moved at a mellow pace, which was the fastest that Tori could manage on her own. Once the crisp air hit their light jackets, the group sank into the nearest benches, leaving only Sikowitz and Beck standing.

Nobody said a word until Tori murmured, "Is it Jade?"

They all were surprised though ecstatic at his grin. "The doctor told me to tell her parents this, but, because you all are her friends..." His gaze lingered over towards Tori the longest. "Jade's a fighter. Dr. Ramos said he lost her twice during surgery, but they pulled through. Tori, you know what she did saved your life, right?" She nodded slowly, completely drained of tears by that time. "I don't believe it was Jade's intention to save her own though... To be honest, Dr. Ramos said that cases like hers truly makes him belief that there really is a _God_."

With his hands, he explained what was assumed to have happened: "Jade pushed them both to the corner as the barn fell right, escaping pretty much all of the blow except for the metal piece of the roof that impaled her." Tori closed her eyes, Jade's horrid groans and sharp wheezes now ravaging her mind. "They had to remove her left kidney because that was what broke most of the fall, and they had to fix the last rib, and stitch together her abdominal muscles," he continued to recount. "Bottom line...Jade's alive, and she will be well. Even if she can't do many things for a long time, and some things never. But, we need to wait for her to rest. How about we go eat, spend the night at the motel, and then come back right in the morning."

Everybody was in better spirits, all higher than Tori's. They agreed and slowly trudged towards their cars, constantly looking back towards the hospital. They ate in silence that night. They slept restlessly, with the hospital right outside their window. Their stomachs churned and flipped.

But, everything was warmer now. Not how it was, but warmer.

**. . .**

He had waited by her side whenever Tori hadn't. Beck watched Jade carefully, analyzing how her forehead was lightly gashed, similarly to Tori. Her hands were cut as well. But nothing could be compared to the amount of bandages that had been wrapped around her waist. He sighed, the ghost of their breakup months ago haunting him. _"You never can think about anybody but yourself, can you?"_ he had shouted. Oh how he was wrong. Beck had regretted some of the things he said even the day after, maybe hours even. Though now, the taste of regret was bitter in his mouth.

Jade grumbled quietly, ripping his attention back to her. "Baby..." she murmured, frowning softly.

"Yes? I'm here," he said quietly.

"Baby..." she repeated, "are you okay?"

"Yes, I—"

"Tori...? Are you?"

Beck froze, perplexed. She murmured to herself again as he blinked in confusion. "Baby...?" he parroted, now profoundly puzzled. It took him a moment to crawl down his spiked sense of yearning. Jade never said _Baby_ , it was always _Babe_ or his name. Feeling extremely out of place, Beck stood up, and stepped away. He turned to Andre, who was in a chair across the room, reading a magazine. "Where's Tori?"

Andre glanced up. "With Cat and Robbie, why?"

"I..." Beck watched Jade for a moment. "I think she's going to wake up soon and...I think Tori should be by her side."

The magazine was set down as he got to his feet. "Alright," Andre said, "I think they're still by the vending machines down the hall." Together, Andre and Beck strolled down the hall and did indeed find Cat, Robbie and Tori all settled in chairs. They greeted the incoming guests, though with some surprise.

"Tori," Beck said as he stepped towards her, "do you mind...talking for a minute?"

"Sure...?" With his help, she got to her crutches and they strode back towards the door of Jade's private room (on behalf of the Wests once Sikowitz had called them). "So, what is it?"

Beck pursed his lips, and then crossed his arms. "Did you... Did Jade ever call you, 'baby'?"

"I- What?"

"Tori," he asked with more confidence, "did Jade ever call you 'baby'?"

She frowned, confused. Though Beck new the surge of emotion in her eyes. "I don't know what you mean."

"Are you two a thing?"

Tori sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know."

"So has she—"

"Yes, okay? We've messed around a couple of times," she explained, then clarifying, " _after_ you two broke up."

Beck uncrossed his arms, and swayed them awkwardly. "Oh. But, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," Tori murmured, "it isn't about you?"

"But I've been wanting to get back with her." His jaw clamped shut as soon as it popped out of his mouth. Beck didn't want to say that; and he certainly didn't want to come across that way. But the damage was already done, based on Tori's arched brow. "Look, forget that last part. We broke up and Jade can do whatever she wants. I got a little," he said, "ahead of myself. I just wanted to ask because I think she's going to wake up and...she's been calling for you in her sleep."

Tori's expression changed, dropping her mild annoyance. "...baby?" He nodded.

"Just— Just go in there. We can wait out here."

With that, Tori smiled. "Thanks Beck." He shrugged, and opened the door for her. Once it was shut, his smile dropped, knowing that whatever he had let go months earlier wasn't coming back in his life. And so he turned, and joined his friends.

Tori, meanwhile, slowly inched herself towards Jade, once again letting her eyes drift to the machinery hooked onto her, and the patches left from what felt like an eternity before; it had only been a day, and yet she couldn't fathom it. She eased herself into the chair set beside Jade, and waited. Her mind wandered to distant places, all of which led back to Jade. Questions rose, and shouting had briefly streamed through her head; Tori tried not to remember, though she couldn't shake it.

"I think...I died a couple of times."

Her heart thudded to a halt. Tori blinked and stared to her side. Jade remained there, though her eyes were opening wearily, shifting to her. To see the life in them, bleeding into the last memory Tori had with them staring to the sky, was all it took for her eyes to burn. Tori nodded, and pressed her knuckles against her forehead. "You did... Twice in surgery."

Jade barely shifted in her pillow, and cracked a measly smile. "So that's what that light was. I remember waking up to it and then, just, _nothing_." She groaned as she turned her head, which she found hard as it weighed like an anvil. "What did they do?"

Tori looked at her, eyes glassy. "Kept you alive," she whispered. A soft cry was choked down, and then, "I never was able to thank you for doing that, for me." She wiped away a stray tear. "So, thank-you. I- I..."

"It's okay Tori," Jade murmured. "You don't—"

"No." Tori inhaled slowly. "No, I do. I- I don't know why I didn't say it back. Or anything at all. I didn't mean to wreck your play, I just—"

"Tori, I know. You don't need to explain, it wasn't—"

"I love you."

Jade snapped her jaw shut, and gazed at Tori. A curious storm brewed inside her, desperately wanting to reach out. "I don't know why I didn't say it back, because I do. And, and just loosing you _three_ fucking times Jade, I couldn't imagine..."

Tori closed her eyes as a slow hand gripped her shoulder. "Come here." She turned, and found Jade watching her intensely. "Come here." Tori leaned closer. "Closer..." She obliged. "Come on, closer." She felt warmth against her lips as Jade managed to close the gap, ignoring the pain she was able to suppress during the time she had been awake. And while it wasn't easy, Tori somewhat back into her arms was enough. They broke away, and Jade whispered, "I know you do. I can see it in your eyes. Okay? I was just being...stupid. I haven't done or said anything enough, even—"

"Jade, don't say that. You saved my life. That's everything on top of what you've already done for me."

"Really?"

Tori nodded with a ginger smile. "Now settle back down. You're going to hurt yourself." Jade eased herself back into the pillow, the discomfort lessening. She closed her eyes as a comforting hand soothingly rubbed against her shoulder, and then a small peck to her head. "I love you. I can't say it enough, but I do," Tori whispered. "And I promise you'll make it home too Jade. I promise."

And to that, Jade felt a soft smile spread across her lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Um...so this is a part of 2018. Somehow I forgot to post it here. My bad. 
> 
> Nevertheless, hope you enjoyed!  
> :)


End file.
